Apparatus for treating sheet-iron and tin-plate



No. 608,ll9. I Patented July 26', I898. W. E. HARRIS.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET IRUNAND TIN PLATE. (Application filed May 22, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 SheetsfSheet L mt-am: E 8 0; T w

E ca /7 mwwto'a No. 608,l|9. Patented July 26, I898.

W. E. HARRIS. APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET IRON AND TIN PLATE.

(Application filed May 22, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-$heet 2;.

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No. 608,l|9.

v Patented July 26 v w. E. HARRIS. APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET IRON AND TIN PLATE.

(Ap lzlication filed May 29. 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet s (No Model.)

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WILLIAM E. HARRIS, or NILEs, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING SHEET-IRON AND TIN-PLATE,

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,119, dated uly 26, 1898.

was, filed May22, 1897. Serial No. 637,773. (No model.)

To aZZ whom itmay concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HARRIS, of Niles, in the county of Truinbull'and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Sheet-Iron and Tin Plates; and I 'do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of I the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art towh ich it appertains tomake and use thesame.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in treating sheetiron ortin plates. 1 i p I i In the manufacture ofsheet-iron 0r tin plates it has heretofore been the practice, after the sheets or plates are sheared, to subject them to an annealing process. Then the plates are cold-rolled and finally stretched. When soft-iron plates are desired, further annealing of the plates is required. The several steps, as above enumerated, are performedby separate and individual means, each requiring much time and handling of the sheets or .plates and adding 'to' the cost of manufacture.

The object of. this inventionis to so treat the sheets or plates as to, prevent oxidation, to greatly lessen the'cost of making sheetiron and tin plates, and to reduce the numher of handlings which are now required and dispense with the number of separate media for treating the sheets or plates. ThisI accomplish by providing in one Japparatus means for thoroughly annealing, rolling, and stretching sheet-iron or tin'plates in one passage therethrough. Each"sheet or plate is first heated to a maximum degree, thence conve'yed'to a lower temperature, andthento a still lower temperature, which will produce a black heat, after which the sheets or plates are rolled and stretched. The apparatus com prises a series of independent furnaces with communicating openings, each furnace having a separate fire. In these furnaces are transverse .rolls arranged in pairs, all operated in such manner as to cause sheets of iron or tin plates to travel'longitudinally through the several furnaces, the heat of the second furnace being of less intensity than that of the first and greater than the third, so that oxidation of the sheets or plates in passing through the furnaces is prevented. Adjacent to the discharge end of the last furnace is a series of rolls for rolling and stretching the sheets. I These rolls vary in diameter-that is, the rolls of no two sets are alike-and hence a different face speed for theseveral rolls is .obtained.

In this way the sheets will be stretched while being rolled.

The invention willbe hereinafter more fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims. l I

I In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional View. Fig.- 3 is a transverse'sectional view 011 line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan View. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional 'view, enlarged,of a slightly-modified form. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectionalview on line 7 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an end View.

Referring to the drawings, A A A designate a series of three furnaces with communicating openings through tunnels a. Each furnace is preferably composed of an outer metallic'shell a, adjacent brick walls a", and inner brick walls a parallel with the former walls, forming hot-air spaces or chambers a These latter walls have some of the bricks removed, forming checkered-like openings a through which the heat or gases rising in chambers a pass into the annealing-chambers a. In thelatter are grate-bars ah'u'pon which the fire-bed rests when coal or coke is the medium, a plate a in that event being placed over the bed. This plate necessarily causesthe gases to travel upward in chambers a The fuel is introduced through side openings or", and the ashes may be removed from a pit a on the opposite side; but in lieu of coal or coke I may employ oil or gas as the heating agent. In practice the heat of the several furnaces is maintained at different degrees of temperature, that of furnace A being the highest, the furnace A next in point of intensity, while the heat of furnace A is the lowest of the series, being kept at black heat. I

B B designate two sets of upper and lower rolls extending transversely through the several furnaces, the communicating tunnels,and

at the receiving and discharging ends I) and b. Each set of rolls is composed of an upper roll b and a lower roll 19 On the journals of each'roll are intermeshing gear-wheels b the wheels of the lower roll b of the upper set gearing with the wheels of the upper roll of the lower set of rolls, whereby a sheet or plate will, upon being introduced between the rolls of each set, be fed forward successively from one furnace to the other. On-the outer face of one gear-wheel Z2 of the lower roll of the set B are beveled teeth I), with which engage beveled gear-wheels 0, fast on a shaft D, extended longitudinally of and parallel with one side of the apparatus. This shaft is j ournalcd in suitable bearin and is operated by any ordinary means. WVhen rotated, it causes all the rolls B B to revolvein unison. These rolls are preferably made hollow and open at their ends to permit of the introduction of any cooling medium to prevent their being overheated by the fires of the several furnaces The sheets or plates to be treated are introduced into furnace A at the receiving end I) and are at once taken up by the two sets of rolls and gradually conveyed through the several furnaces and out at the discharge end I). By maintaining the heat in the several furnaces at different degrees of heat, the lowest temperature being in the discharge-furnace, oxidation of the sheets or plates is prevented, and as they travel from one furnace to the other they are subjected to the grad ually-decreasing degrees of temperature. Oxidation is avoided by preventing the cold air from striking the sheet metal while at red heat, or

what is commonly called an annealing-heat. If contact of cold air occurs, it will cause oxidation on the surfaces of the sheets. Hence when the sheets are discharged from the furnace of lowest temperature oxidation cannot occur.

While in the treating of sheets or plates rolls arranged in pairs within the furnace are preferred for all practical purposes and highly satisfactory results are obtained from their use, yet it is within the scope of my invention to arrange the rolls singly to transport a sheet or plate through such furnace. Likewise in lieu of subjecting them to the direct action of the gases and flames they may be protected therefrom while being conveyed through such furnace. It is well known that some grades of iron will not stand direct exposure to flames and gases, and for this reason. in such cases I contemplate the employment of a muffle 1. (See Figs. 6 to 8.) This muffle is preferably of rectangular form and is placed longitudinally within the furnace 2 and extends from end to end thereof. It is made of iron, steel, fire-clay, or other suitable material. Over each of its open ends are two rolls 3, which practically close said ends. Single rolls 4, arranged equal distances apart, extend transversely through the muffle, being located above the bottom thereof. The sheets to be treated are fed into the muffle at one end by one pair of rolls 3, and being conveyed by the rolls 4 are discharged by the second pair of rolls 3. It will be understood that a series of furnaces with different intensities of heat are to be employed, as before stated, the mufiie being used in each furnace.

Adjacent to the discharge end of the apparatus are three sets of rolls E for cold-rolling and stretching the sheets or plates after they have been subjected to the action of the heat in the several furnaces. The rolls 6 e of each set are mounted between upright stanchions 6 the upper roll e being capable of adjustment as to pressure by screw-rods e WVith beveled gear-wheels c on the journals of the lower rolls a mesh gear-wheels 6 carried by a shaft 0, independently operated by any suitable means. The upper rolls are not geared, but are rotated by frictional contact as the plates or sheets pass between them after the discharge from the annealing apparatus. The rolls of the second set are of slightly greater diameter than the rolls of the first set, while those of the third and last set are of greatest diameter of all. By thus making the rolls of gradually-increased di ameter and all being driven at the same speed the sheets or plates are stretched as they are cold-rolled.

In practice sheets rolled out of bars of steel from about No. 10 gage to No. 34 gagein thickness and of any size in width or length are fed one by one through rolls into the first furnace, which is fired up to a red heat, or what is commonly called annealing-heat. The sheets are in the first furnace from fifteen to sixty seconds, according to their thicknesses. The rolls that carry the sheets through the first furnace are geared to run fast or slow, as needed, for it requires longer time to heat sheets of a No. 10 gage than a sheet of No. 3.4L gage. I also run the rolls in the first furnace just long enough to anneal properly. The sheet then passes out of the first furnace into the second furnace, which is of a lower degree of heat than that of the first furnace. The sheet then passes between or on top of rolls in the second furnace, which transport itinto a third furnace of a still lower degree of heat, or what is commonly called a black heat. From this third furnace the sheets pass to one pair of rolls, by which they are made flat, then through a second and third pair of rolls, so as to have the sheet as fiat as desired and also stretched. Sheets rolled at a black heat will be more fiat and free from buckles, and being at a black heat they cause the rolls to become hot. Coldr,olled sheets are rolled through cold rolls when they are themselves cold, which causes them to be brittle and hard; but by rolling the sheets when hot they are rendered soft and flat. Sheets at a red heat coming in contact with cold air will scale, but by passing them through furnaces of different degrees of heat, thereby allowing them to cool gradually,

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passage of a plate through the scaling is prevented. The sheets are also stretched when being rolled, the face speeds of the several rolls varying, as stated.

The advantages of myinvention are apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. It will be observed that in one apparatus it is thoroughly annealed, rolled, and stretched. By accomplishing all these steps in one operation the cost of manufacture of sheet-iron and tin plates is greatly reduced and highlysuperior results are obtained. It will also be observed that by employing the muffle all grades of iron can be treated in accordance with my invention. While I'preferably employ rolls arranged in pairs, yet Ido not confine myself thereto, since, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7, single rolls can convey the plates through the furnaces.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a series of furnaces, means for heating each furnace to a different degree and a tunnel between each two of successive furnaces, of a series of rolling and stretching rolls and means for conducting sheets of iron through the furnace and tunnel series to the series stretching rolls, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An annealing apparatus consisting of a se of rolling and diate of that of the receiving and discharging furnaces, rolls arranged transversely in said furnaces and extending through the sides thereof for conveying sheets or plates therethrough, and means outside of said furnaces engaging said rolls for rotating the same, substantially as set forth.

3. A furnace having upright side chambers and inner walls with openings therein, a series of rolls arranged transverselyin said. furnace and extending through said walls, and means for rotating said rolls, substantially as set forth. M 4. The combination with the series of connecting furnaces having side chambers and walls with openings therein, and lower grate-y bars, of a series of rolls arranged transversely in said furnaces above said grate-bars andextending through said walls, and means for rotating all of said rolls, substantially as: set forth.

5. An annealing-furnace having a muffle extending longitudinally therethrough above the fire-bed, rolls, arranged in pairs, at the ends of said muffle, a series of rolls extending transversely through said muffle, and means for rotating said rolls, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLlAM E. HARRIS.

Witnessesa MINNIE MARVIN, OREN L. MoCAR'rY. 

